Lone Explorer
by Flame the Flygon
Summary: The journey of a Zangoose who is lost and alone, tormented within, and sought after by one of the most powerful beings of its time. *blood, violence, minor language
1. Intro

_Once there was a dark land. Time there did not flow; the land was broken and scattered through Space. The creatures that lived there relied on one the most basic instincts – to kill or be killed. This land was ruled by a being who long ago governed that which is no more. Now this deity, the once-great Dialga, resorted to destroying those who sought to destroy this world. Searching through history, both then and that to come, he came to know of certain Pokemon who could think above instinct and see what had happened to this world. Terminating them was the only option, but first he had to find them... _


	2. Prologue

_The lanky, three-clawed arms of the Sableye were packed with muscle, ready to deliver heavy, slashing blows to their victims. Tied to a stone column in the middle of a large arena-like building, a pure white Zangoose tensed. As the Swipes came, she bit her tongue to keep herself from screaming. They would not receive the grim satisfaction of her pain through their life-threatening torture. Most of the Sableye's attacks were aimed at her chest, their intention likely to rip out her heart. While many of these blows were caught in the coarse ropes that bound her, some managed to rip into the skin below._

_One Sableye, a scar-covered veteran with two claws on one hand and one on the other, leaped above the swarm and dealt double strikes to the Zangoose's face. She never actually saw the claws, but she felt them ripping into her flesh. If her eyes had been open, it is likely that she would've lost an eye that day. Still, the burning pain of those two attacks loosed a stifled cry from her lips. No more attempts were made to her face, but the attacks continued. Slice after slice flew through the air, the eyes of their owners gleaming insanely._

_Suddenly, they stopped. In the silence that followed, ragged breaths echoed through the chamber. The ropes that bound her slacked and fell away. Without any support, the Zangoose pitched forward. She caught herself at the last minute, landing heavily on hands and knees, her head bent low and tail drooping. Blood dripped from where the Sableye claws gouged into her, and her body trembled more from the adrenaline that coursed through her than her actual injuries. _

_The Sableye drew back, allowing Dusknoir, a single-eyed Ghost-type, through. The Zangoose, squinting one shut, glared up at the top minion of Primal Dialga, lord of this ruined land. Dusknoir seemed preoccupied and didn't notice the glare. He turned to the Sableye and said, "That is all for now. You are free to do as you wish for a while." The purple, gem-imbedded creatures nodded and filed out through a small door off to the side. One hung back though, waiting for its boss to acknowledge it. Dusknoir smirked. "You have done exceptionally well, Vangi. Please wait for me in my chambers until I am finished here." The Sableye nodded and left, closing the door with a two-clawed hand._

_The Zangoose clenched her hands into fists, her claws brushing over the ropes. She felt some of the strands split and frayed by the Sableye's attacks. Her eye narrowed; the other one already swollen shut. Her thoughts were cut off by an under toned laugh from Dusknoir._

"_Hmm-hmm-hmm...those Sableye are really something, aren't they?" He paused, waiting for the Zangoose to reply. When she said nothing, he frowned. "Would you like a hand up?" He reached down with a large, gray hand. She reared her head back, gathered together the blood in her mouth left over from biting her tongue and spat. _SPLACK! _The red-toned, blood-and-saliva mixture squarely hit Dusknoir's hand. "YUCK!!" He waved his hand around wildly, flicking specks of the sticky mixture onto the stone floor._

_He scowled. "Fine! Kneel there on the floor, soaking in your own blood. I was only trying to have a more civilized conversation with you." He examined his hand, a look of disgust contorting his usually calm features. "I still wonder why you came here with that little Sableye runt. You acted like a mother to him, but turned on us like a raging Feral from beyond the Wastes." She glared up at him, but remained silent._

_Dusknoir shrugged and muttered, "I might as well be talking to myself...or Dialga." Then he turned around, moving a short distance away. With his arms spread wide, he opened the mouth on his belly to conjure a portal. Energy gathered between his outstretched arms. Then, he cast the energy in front of himself, getting bathed the purple and blue light as the portal began to form and open. He gazed down at the Zangoose curiously, one last time before he entered the portal to confer with his master._

_She was staring at the ground, her claws spread out flat, her uninjured ear pricked forward. Dusknoir raised his eyebrow and was about to question the Zangoose when a dull rumbling shook the ground. The rumble turned into a roar as an ice-blue Onix burst out of the ground in front of Dusknoir. Rock shards scattered around as the giant rock-snake reared back, aiming an attack at the Ghost-type. He dodged narrowly; the Onix crashed to the ground where he had just been. This miss just seemed to infuriate the Onix. Tail lashing, it lunged forward. Dusknoir was preparing to phase through the attack when he got hit from behind, knocking him forward into the Onix's attack. Accelerated into a full-on Body Slam, he flew back and slammed into the thick wall of the arena, his vision flickering._

_As his vision cleared, he caught a glimpse of the Zangoose's tail disappearing into the portal he had just made. The Onix glared at him for a second more before sliding into the portal as well. A roar echoed through the land, punctuating Primal Dialga's anger at the dimensional interlopers. The lights in the portal flickered. Suddenly, the portal collapsed upon itself and, sent out a powerful shockwave._

_Instantly, Dusknoir was flattened against the wall, the air being forced from his lungs. In the silence that followed before he blacked out, he thought back to the last couple of minutes, and he was surprised that, while the Onix had more natural strength, the first attack hurt more..._


End file.
